Legendary WWE Star Hulk Hogan Dead at 71

Hogan helped popularize entertainment wrestling in the 1980s.

Hulk Hogan gestures to the crowd during his Hulkamania Tour at the Burswood Dome in 2009. / Paul Kane/Getty Images

Legendary WWE star Hulk Hogan has died, TMZ Sports reported on Thursday. He was 71.

Per TMZ, emergency vehicles were seen outside of Hogan's Clearwater, Fla., home on Thursday morning after there were calls about a "cardiac arrest."

MORE: Ric Flair pays tribute to Hulk Hogan

Hogan just underwent neck surgery last month, which sparked rumors that he was on his "deathbed" while recovering. Hogan's team later denied the rumors.

Hulk Hogan was featured on the cover of the April 29, 1985, edition of Sports Illustrated. / Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

The WWE released a statement about Hogan's death shortly after the news dropped on Thursday.

"WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," the statement read. "One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans."

Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71, per @TMZ pic.twitter.com/lpNxYGm2my

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 24, 2025

Hogan's WWE career (it was known as the World Wrestling Federation then) began in 1979. The organization wanted his name to sound Irish, so that's where his Hulk Hogan persona came from. His actual name was Terry Gene Bollea.

Hogan helped establish the WWE nationally, and even internationally, throughout his career thanks to his multiple television pursuits. Hogan was the star of the first ever televised "Wrestlemania" in 1985 even. The term "Hulkamania" was forever attached to the blond wrestler with the horseshoe mustache.

Hogan's rivalry with Andre the Giant really boosted viewership in the 1980s, with their showdown in 1988 seeing 33 million viewers. He will have an everlasting impact on wrestling as he has for the past four-plus decades.

---

More Wrestling on Sports Illustrated

feed